


Winter Rest for a Hobbit is Important

by indraleigh



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen, Post-Battle of Five Armies, hobbits hibernate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 17:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2782022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indraleigh/pseuds/indraleigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Battle Bilbo is still worried, Thorin finds out why, and decides to try and fix it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter Rest for a Hobbit is Important

**Author's Note:**

> I've read a couple of post BoFA Bilbo goes missing and Company finds him after he's fallen asleep, and I wondered what happened if they found out before Bilbo fell asleep for his winter hibernation.

Gandalf looked around from where he was sitting on a large downed tree not paying attention to his still lit finger and glowing embers in his just lit pipe. After hitting his head many times in the tents and not a single comfortable chair Gandalf didn’t argue when Oin kicked him out of the tent holding the injured members of the company. A tree had fallen at some point during the battle and the wide trunk was large enough to be a passable chair for Gandalf. No one cared about moving the downed tree, they simply set up tents where they could. 

As he walked Bilbo looked down at the ground watching where he would step, careful not to step on any bits of metal or weapons broken in the battle. Finding a branch thick enough for a hobbit chair Bilbo brushed it clean before sitting and sliding back so his feet didn’t touch the ground. During the journey Bilbo had a habit of brushing off where he was about to sit and Gandalf was pleased to see that bit of normalcy return even though he didn’t like seeing Bilbo so morose. 

“Why are you so worried Bilbo? The battle is over and won.” Gandalf asked reaching into his pouch for a spare pipe and his supply of pipe weed. Pretending not to notice Bilbo’s slight jump in surprise Gandalf extended both to him.

“Winter is nearly here and I am not ready. Nowhere near ready.” Bilbo said taking the pipe, glad for a smoke, the first in many days. 

“Have you forgotten Hobbit’s hibernate?” Bilbo didn’t notice Gandalf’s forehead furrow in thought as he continued to talk. “Fell Winter actually started in the summer. In the spring it was too rainy for any crops to get planted and in the summer the sun killed all the plants. It was like all the summer rain came in planting season instead of when it should have. No one was able to eat what they needed for winter. Everyone in the shire woke up and the river had frozen over and wolves were at our doors. Wolves may have been at our door every winter but we had always been asleep before. We woke up in the middle of winter, hungry, no food, and no idea how to live because we had always been able to sleep through the winter. We tried to find food to eat, to stay safe in our smials behind latched doors but the winter and wolves won.”

Bilbo smoked his pipe not looking at Gandalf who had appeared to have forgotten the now burnt out pipe in his hand.

“I haven’t eaten what I should have. The last time I came close was in Rivendell. I had a snack that almost counted as my fifth meal of the day. Everyone is hungry and there already is so little food and I’m not going to demand more food because I get to sleep all winter and everyone else is healing battle injuries and will need food to eat through the winter.” 

Bilbo saw Gandalf start to say something but he barely paused for a breath desperate to finally have someone to tell his worries to and he didn’t see Thorin behind him partly supported between Dwalin and Bofur. 

“Even if I had eaten enough I don’t have anywhere to stay. Bears can find a hollow log or cave but we have hour homes. Warm, snug, and secure underground. Bard spoke kindly to me when we spoke yesterday. I wonder if he has a small space I can use this winter?” Bilbo asked before taking in a lungful of the leaf from home.

“What about staying under the mountain in Erebor?” Gandalf asked not looking at Thorin but aware the King was listening.

“When I spoke with Thorin he asked my forgiveness, not to invite or ask me to stay. I’m glad we had a chance to talk because I don’t know if he lives or not. I have not been allowed to see him and no one will tell me. What if I am welcomed into the mountain, find a corner to sleep in, and Thorin recovers and decides that he doesn’t want me there? What if I do find a place to hibernate under the mountain and Thorin doesn’t survive his injuries and the new king has me removed from Erebor and I wake up in the middle of winter outside and hungry like Fell Winter so long ago? I don’t have money to buy food or any skills that would be useful that I could trade for food or a place to stay. If I left for the Shire I’ll never make it in time before Winter arrives. Excuse me Gandalf, It’s time for the evening meal and I’d like to get my bowl of soup.” Bilbo walked away still looking to where his feet would land.

When Bilbo slipped into the tent where the food was being made Thorin moved to stand in front of Gandalf. Trying to take a puff from his pipe to delay talking to Thorin Gandalf frowned realizing his pipe had gone out.

“What does he mean hibernate Gandalf? Wake up early and Fell Winter? Exactly how much do hobbits eat and how starving was he on the journey here?” Thorin demanded of the unhappy wizard.


End file.
